To Live And Die In L.A. (1985)

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William Friedkin knows his way around cop flicks. As if The French Connection wasn't enough back in 1971, this '80s glossy retread of the brooding cop formula had it's own signature and style that left a mark. Not the least of which was the mark left by the giant shotgun hole in the face of our anti-hero as he lost his brains out the back of his head in the final act of the film. I cannot express how jarring this was at the time. This was not a conventional move by any means, and nobody saw it coming. I mean, we didn't love the guy because he was a piece of work, but he was our anchor and our hero. And we have to give Friedkin points for having him take a shotgun to the face and not just a gut shot after a noble sacrifice. He screwed up and got his face blown off. Bloody -- and bloody upsetting, to this day.